This one speaks to me. And I believe it will speak to you, too.
John 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
28 April 2024
01 April 2022
God Has a Sense of Humor
From Dutch Sheets:
I want to share one more post on forgiveness and being released from past hurts. I have posted on the subject during the previous two days - however, this one reveals, to some extent, the sense of humor God has.
A couple of years after insisting that I forgave the man I held responsible for so much pain in my family, and enabling me to do so, (,read about it here), the Lord led me to Christ For the Nations Bible Institute in Dallas, Texas. It was there that I became much better grounded in the Word of God, learned to pray, became a true worshiper, embraced a heart for the nations, and met my lovely wife, Ceci. It was a great two years.
Shortly after arriving, to my surprise I ran into the son of the man I had hated so strongly. His son was also there as a student. Tom (not his real name) happened to be in the cluster of 15 or 20 students that became my inner circle there. I wouldn’t say he became a best friend, but we were definitely friends. He was a few years younger than me and had no idea of the past hatred I once held for his dad. I’m sure he was completely unaware of what had even taken place a few years prior to this. Tom had gotten into drugs and alcohol while in high school and became horribly addicted. He had come to Christ and was attending the Bible institute to help firm up his walk with the Lord. I found it very encouraging that I could relate to this young man with no feelings of awkwardness or resentment.
About six months into my time there, Tom had a bit of a relapse and used some recreational drugs, which was obviously against the very strict policy of the Institute. The Institute wasn’t legalistic. However, it was not a rehabilitation center and was not equipped to deal with drug addiction and rehabilitation, so they were very firm in their stance. To violate the policy meant dismissal, with their help in finding a place more suited to ministering to them.
The Dean of Men, who would be making this decision and doling out the consequences, called me to his office. I knew him somewhat from some on-campus prayer meetings I had attended. He was very strict regarding the school’s policies, but was also very prophetic. He prayed regarding situations of this nature, asking Holy Spirit to give him wisdom and guidance. I had no idea why he was summoning me to his office.
He explained what happened with Tom, and spelled out the normal consequences for the offense. “I want to give him another chance, however,” he stated. “I believe his heart is right. He is a friend of yours, isn’t he?” he asked.
“Yes” I said, “he is a friend.” I felt truly spiritual being able to say that, and was very satisfied with myself. Not that I was proud, you understand. My assumption was that the Dean was about to ask me if I thought it was a good idea to give Tom another chance.
NOT!
“I have noticed you in the prayer room and observed you praying on occasion,” he began. I was, indeed, attempting to become an intercessor. I certainly wasn’t an expert, but I was passionate. “I am willing to give Tom a second chance,” he said, “if you are willing to take him on as a personal assignment. You must take him to the prayer room every day and pray over him, teaching him to pray, and helping him get free from his addictions.”
Did I mention that this Dean was very prophetic?! He knew nothing about my past with this young man‘s father. But had he ever heard from God! I said yes, and left the room astounded. I’m not sure what my exact words to the Lord were when I left the dean’s office, but it was something like this, “Well, God, You sure do have a sense of humor.”
“I do,” He said. “But I’m doing more than being humorous. I’m finishing the job. Drive the nail into the coffin of your past. Make satan pay. Overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) You are free in your heart; now seal it with your actions.”
I was able to do what I had been assigned to do. I dragged this young man to the prayer room every day - actually, he had no choice - and prayed over him, as well as making him pray, for an hour or so. Surprise, surprise! It worked…for both of us. We chased off his demons and buried my past pain. Only God. Tom became free and was able to remain free - to this day, I trust.
Overcome in the above verse (Romans 12:21), is the Greek word, nikao. It means “to conquer, prevail, overcome; even legally - to win in a court of law.” It’s a wonderful word describing our God-infused ability to be overcomers in life. There is one place, however, where Holy Spirit evidently decided this word was not strong enough to describe the overcoming nature He has given us.
Romans 8:37 tells us: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us,” (NASB). It is almost as though as this revelation is breathed into Paul by Holy Spirit, so he can pass it on to us, he is overcome by the strength of what he is seeing. As he searches his mind for the correct word, Paul comes up empty and finally has to take two words and make them one: hupernikao, translated above as “overwhelmingly conquer.” This Greek word is used nowhere else in the New Testament.
The prefix huper means “overwhelmingly, over, beyond, exceedingly, excessively, more than.” Our English word, hyper, comes from this Greek word. Paul, overwhelmed with emotion and excitement, shouts with his pen, “We are hyperconquerors! We overwhelmingly conquer! Our conquering ability is excessive, over the top!”
Holy Spirit wants you to win over, conquer, your past. “Through Him who loved us,” Paul goes on to say (Romans 8:37b). Everything God does is motivated by His heart of love. He’s a giver, a blesser, a healer, a destiny-provider. When He asks us to release, let go of past offenses, He is actually saying, “Here’s how I can get rid of this pain. Let me have it.” Forgiveness, releasing the person who hurt you, is one of the ways God erases the negative side of the ledger. He moves your pain into the asset column, making it serve you!
You can do this. Let it go!
Pray with me:
Father, we thank You for Your determination to heal, equip, and strengthen us for success. You have a plan for each of us and You are determined to accomplish it. We pray the prayer of the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24). (“Hurtful way” could be translated “way of pain.”) Show us any pain in us that could keep us from accomplishing everything You planned for us.
We want clean hands and pure hearts. We pray now for our brothers and sisters who struggle with things they have experienced in the past. Help them to let go. Pour Your grace into them, enabling them to release it all to You. You are such a good Father. You will release and heal them completely.
And we pray that in the coming revival, we will be healing agents. We ask You for wholeness, and an anointing to produce wholeness. We can be the generation that heals our land of racism, division, and strife. Start in us, Your people and anoint us to be Your “able ministers of the new covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:6). Expose all evil that is used to divide us as a nation. Expose those with wrong motives, who do so. Raise up leaders in all segments of our society who are healthy and whole, not bitter and determined to live in the past. They try to divide us, not heal us. Deliver us from their leadership, we pray. And we ask it all in Christ’s name. Amen.
Our decree:
We declare that we will walk in the wholeness of Christ, and minister His wholeness to those in need.
Copyright © 2022 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.
31 March 2022
Choose Life
From Dutch Sheets:
Yesterday I spoke with you about offenses and forgiveness. The New Testament word for an offense is actually the part of an animal trap upon which a piece of raw meat was placed. When an animal reached for the meat the trap was sprung and they were captured. It is very interesting that the word for an offense basically means to “take the bait.” This is also why it is called “picking up” an offense.
Regarding forgiveness, in yesterday's post (Don’t Take the Bait), we mentioned that the word means “to release.” In Luke 6:37 Jesus said, “Release, and you will be released.” When we release the person who has offended or wounded us, we can then be released from the bruises and pain they caused us. We also said yesterday that forgiveness is a choice - a decision - not a feeling.
When I was 17 years old, my family went through a very difficult time. The Board of Directors of the church my father was pastoring fired him and kicked us out of the home where we were living. The house had been given to us, but put in the church’s name. We were left homeless and penniless. Shortly thereafter, my father divorced my mother and married another woman. Mom was devastated - her circumstances had gone from bad to catastrophic. I remember holding her in my arms as she wept, saying she did not want to go on living.
I did not know how to process all of the pain I was experiencing. I didn’t want to blame God or my father, so I blamed all of this on the chairman of that church board. I focused all of my anger upon him, an anger that soon became a bitter hatred. I said on several occasions that I could not kill this man, but I would rejoice if someone else did.
I also became bitter at the church, in general. I associated my pain and my family’s disintegration with religion and swore I would never darken the door of another church. I became very rebellious and turned to drugs and alcohol.
God was incredibly patient. He protected me and for two years waited patiently for me to come to a point where I could respond to Him again. I returned to Him and have enjoyed a wonderful walk with God since that time.
Around six months into my renewed walk with the Lord, He began dealing with me about my hatred for the man I had blamed for all of our problems. I heard Holy Spirit very clearly telling me I would have to forgive him. I did not angrily resist the Lord, but I did not believe I could ever truly do so. What I had against this man was so deep in me I had no confidence whatsoever that I would be able to forgive him, and I told the Lord this. It’s comical sometimes when we act as though the Lord doesn’t know what we’re thinking.
Holy Spirit was very gentle with me. He was not pushing, His promptings always came as a gentle nudge deep in my heart. He was, however, insistent and persistent. “You will have to do this if you want My best for you and to truly be free from all of the pain this caused you,” He said. When my heart softened to the point that I was willing, Holy Spirit began teaching me how to do it. Some of what He taught me I shared in yesterday's post.
He revealed to me that I could have feelings of anger, hurt, etc., toward this man in my mind and emotions, but still choose to forgive from my heart allowing that to overrule my emotions. “You don’t like to get up early some days and go to work but you do it anyway because it’s right, and it’s your responsibility,” he said. “You don’t like certain aspects of exercise but you do it anyway because you know you need to,” He said again. Then came the winning blow, “Jesus did not want to go to the Cross, but He did so anyway, for the joy He knew it would produce later,” (Hebrews 12:2). “Choose to do this because it’s right, even though you don’t want to and you don’t feel like it. If you will make this choice and maintain the decision daily, I will release you from all the pain, resentment, and hatred. Your responsibility is to let go; it’s my responsibility to heal your emotions and release you from every effect of this. Choose life!”
Somehow this clicked in my thinking. I realized I didn’t have to have any positive feelings about this man, whatsoever. I simply needed to release him to God and trust Him to deal with what had happened. I did so daily, saying something along these lines (it’s important to say it), “I choose to release David (not his real name) from all he did to hurt my family.” Every time he came to mind and unpleasant feelings began rising up inside of me, I would say it again, “I choose to release David from all he did to hurt my family.” Some days I had to do this multiple times. After a couple of weeks, he was rarely coming to my mind, and when he did, I felt less and less emotion. But I would say it again. A week or two after that, I thought of him and I realized I felt no pain or anger, whatsoever. I was shocked. I knew God had released me from all the effects of what had occurred two years earlier.
However, Holy Spirit wanted to show me that I was truly healed. One night my mom and I were returning home from a Sunday night service, and stopped at a local restaurant to grab a bite to eat. There were no tables available and we were waiting for one, when I noticed this particular man and his wife seated across the room. He noticed us at the same time. I also noticed that he and his wife were seated at a table for four people, and two of the chairs were empty. He jumped to his feet and headed in our direction. Well, I thought to myself, I’m about to find out if this is real. He wanted to do more than just say hello. “Would the two of you like to join us at our table,” he asked.
“Sure,” said my mother, “that’s very kind of you.”
I kept waiting for that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that I used to feel when I thought of him. I waited for at least a mix of negative emotions. But there were none. I realized I was not having to feign being nice to him while burying my anger and hatred. It was very easy - actually, it felt normal - to treat him with kindness. And I felt no pain whatsoever. All I could do was thank the Lord for delivering me from my chains of bitterness. This man did not become my friend, but he was no longer my enemy.
Friends, no matter what your situation is, who hurt you, or how long ago it occurred, He can do this for you. Let’s pray.
Pray with me:
Father, it is impossible to go through life and not have numerous opportunities to forgive. You said offenses will come. You did not tell us to forgive only if we felt like doing so; You said we must do it. You never ask us to do anything You will not enable us to do. So we choose this day to honor Your word and obey it from our hearts, our spirits, regardless of how our emotions feel. As we do what You say, our emotions and feelings must come into alignment with the Word-based decision we make. They must…and they will. As we release, we will be released.
And now, Father, we ask for a release of tremendous grace to everyone praying this prayer with us now. Give them grace to forgive and release. Let a process of healing begin now for people who have been abandoned, abused, rejected, betrayed, and harmed in any way. Cause the revelation that forgiveness is a choice we can all make to become strong in them. May today mark a new beginning for all who need one, and all of the negative results of what they have suffered be reversed. Let this begin today.
Heal bodies through this. Mend hurting hearts and minds. Tear down the walls we’ve built to protect our emotions. Cause victims to be victimized no longer. Let the abused go free. Release captives, mend broken hearts, and restore hope. We ask that this truly be a new beginning. And we ask it all in the name of the great healer, Jesus. Amen.
Our decree:
We declare that we will walk in forgiveness to all.
Yesterday I spoke with you about offenses and forgiveness. The New Testament word for an offense is actually the part of an animal trap upon which a piece of raw meat was placed. When an animal reached for the meat the trap was sprung and they were captured. It is very interesting that the word for an offense basically means to “take the bait.” This is also why it is called “picking up” an offense.
Regarding forgiveness, in yesterday's post (Don’t Take the Bait), we mentioned that the word means “to release.” In Luke 6:37 Jesus said, “Release, and you will be released.” When we release the person who has offended or wounded us, we can then be released from the bruises and pain they caused us. We also said yesterday that forgiveness is a choice - a decision - not a feeling.
When I was 17 years old, my family went through a very difficult time. The Board of Directors of the church my father was pastoring fired him and kicked us out of the home where we were living. The house had been given to us, but put in the church’s name. We were left homeless and penniless. Shortly thereafter, my father divorced my mother and married another woman. Mom was devastated - her circumstances had gone from bad to catastrophic. I remember holding her in my arms as she wept, saying she did not want to go on living.
I did not know how to process all of the pain I was experiencing. I didn’t want to blame God or my father, so I blamed all of this on the chairman of that church board. I focused all of my anger upon him, an anger that soon became a bitter hatred. I said on several occasions that I could not kill this man, but I would rejoice if someone else did.
I also became bitter at the church, in general. I associated my pain and my family’s disintegration with religion and swore I would never darken the door of another church. I became very rebellious and turned to drugs and alcohol.
God was incredibly patient. He protected me and for two years waited patiently for me to come to a point where I could respond to Him again. I returned to Him and have enjoyed a wonderful walk with God since that time.
Around six months into my renewed walk with the Lord, He began dealing with me about my hatred for the man I had blamed for all of our problems. I heard Holy Spirit very clearly telling me I would have to forgive him. I did not angrily resist the Lord, but I did not believe I could ever truly do so. What I had against this man was so deep in me I had no confidence whatsoever that I would be able to forgive him, and I told the Lord this. It’s comical sometimes when we act as though the Lord doesn’t know what we’re thinking.
Holy Spirit was very gentle with me. He was not pushing, His promptings always came as a gentle nudge deep in my heart. He was, however, insistent and persistent. “You will have to do this if you want My best for you and to truly be free from all of the pain this caused you,” He said. When my heart softened to the point that I was willing, Holy Spirit began teaching me how to do it. Some of what He taught me I shared in yesterday's post.
He revealed to me that I could have feelings of anger, hurt, etc., toward this man in my mind and emotions, but still choose to forgive from my heart allowing that to overrule my emotions. “You don’t like to get up early some days and go to work but you do it anyway because it’s right, and it’s your responsibility,” he said. “You don’t like certain aspects of exercise but you do it anyway because you know you need to,” He said again. Then came the winning blow, “Jesus did not want to go to the Cross, but He did so anyway, for the joy He knew it would produce later,” (Hebrews 12:2). “Choose to do this because it’s right, even though you don’t want to and you don’t feel like it. If you will make this choice and maintain the decision daily, I will release you from all the pain, resentment, and hatred. Your responsibility is to let go; it’s my responsibility to heal your emotions and release you from every effect of this. Choose life!”
Somehow this clicked in my thinking. I realized I didn’t have to have any positive feelings about this man, whatsoever. I simply needed to release him to God and trust Him to deal with what had happened. I did so daily, saying something along these lines (it’s important to say it), “I choose to release David (not his real name) from all he did to hurt my family.” Every time he came to mind and unpleasant feelings began rising up inside of me, I would say it again, “I choose to release David from all he did to hurt my family.” Some days I had to do this multiple times. After a couple of weeks, he was rarely coming to my mind, and when he did, I felt less and less emotion. But I would say it again. A week or two after that, I thought of him and I realized I felt no pain or anger, whatsoever. I was shocked. I knew God had released me from all the effects of what had occurred two years earlier.
However, Holy Spirit wanted to show me that I was truly healed. One night my mom and I were returning home from a Sunday night service, and stopped at a local restaurant to grab a bite to eat. There were no tables available and we were waiting for one, when I noticed this particular man and his wife seated across the room. He noticed us at the same time. I also noticed that he and his wife were seated at a table for four people, and two of the chairs were empty. He jumped to his feet and headed in our direction. Well, I thought to myself, I’m about to find out if this is real. He wanted to do more than just say hello. “Would the two of you like to join us at our table,” he asked.
“Sure,” said my mother, “that’s very kind of you.”
I kept waiting for that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that I used to feel when I thought of him. I waited for at least a mix of negative emotions. But there were none. I realized I was not having to feign being nice to him while burying my anger and hatred. It was very easy - actually, it felt normal - to treat him with kindness. And I felt no pain whatsoever. All I could do was thank the Lord for delivering me from my chains of bitterness. This man did not become my friend, but he was no longer my enemy.
Friends, no matter what your situation is, who hurt you, or how long ago it occurred, He can do this for you. Let’s pray.
Pray with me:
Father, it is impossible to go through life and not have numerous opportunities to forgive. You said offenses will come. You did not tell us to forgive only if we felt like doing so; You said we must do it. You never ask us to do anything You will not enable us to do. So we choose this day to honor Your word and obey it from our hearts, our spirits, regardless of how our emotions feel. As we do what You say, our emotions and feelings must come into alignment with the Word-based decision we make. They must…and they will. As we release, we will be released.
And now, Father, we ask for a release of tremendous grace to everyone praying this prayer with us now. Give them grace to forgive and release. Let a process of healing begin now for people who have been abandoned, abused, rejected, betrayed, and harmed in any way. Cause the revelation that forgiveness is a choice we can all make to become strong in them. May today mark a new beginning for all who need one, and all of the negative results of what they have suffered be reversed. Let this begin today.
Heal bodies through this. Mend hurting hearts and minds. Tear down the walls we’ve built to protect our emotions. Cause victims to be victimized no longer. Let the abused go free. Release captives, mend broken hearts, and restore hope. We ask that this truly be a new beginning. And we ask it all in the name of the great healer, Jesus. Amen.
Our decree:
We declare that we will walk in forgiveness to all.
Copyright © 2022 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.
20 June 2021
The Importance of Fathers
Father's Day is celebrated throughout the world on different days, with different histories and traditions. But the American holiday, the third Sunday of June, has its origins in a West Virginia Methodist church.1
“The history of Father’s Day goes back to 1908 when a church in West Virginia held a sermon to honor 362 men who were killed the previous year in a coal mining explosion. This was the country’s first-ever event to strictly honor fathers.”2
“Grace Golden Clayton, the daughter of a dedicated minister, proposed a service to honor all fathers, especially those who had died. However, the observance did not become an annual event, and it was not promoted; very few people outside of the local area knew about it. Meanwhile, across the entire country, another woman was inspired to honor fathers …
“In 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, was inspired by Anna Jarvis and the idea of Mother’s Day. Her father, William Jackson Smart, a farmer and Civil War veteran, was also a single parent who raised Sonora and her five brothers by himself, after his wife Ellen died giving birth to their youngest child in 1898. While attending a Mother’s Day church service in 1909, Sonora, then 27 years old, came up with the idea.
“Within a few months, Sonora had convinced the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA to set aside a Sunday in June to celebrate fathers. She proposed June 5, her father’s birthday, but the ministers chose the third Sunday in June so that they would have more time after Mother’s Day (the second Sunday in May) to prepare their sermons. Thus, on June 19, 1910, the first Father’s Day events commenced: Sonora delivered presents to handicapped fathers, boys from the YMCA decorated their lapels with fresh-cut roses (red for living fathers, white for the deceased), and the city’s ministers devoted their homilies to fatherhood.
“The widely publicized events in Spokane struck a chord that reached all the way to Washington, D.C., and Sonora’s celebration put the idea on the path to becoming a national holiday. However, the holiday did not catch on right away, perhaps due to the perceived parallels with Mother’s Day.
God decided that the most ideal atmosphere/environment in which to raise children was one that included both a dad and a mom. Much effort has been made by many on the Left over the last few decades to downplay the need for fathers. However, the facts speak for themselves and prove them wrong. Chris Bolinger points out that “Kids who grow up with a father who is present and engaged are less likely to drop out of school or wind up in jail. When a dad has a close relationship with his children, they tend to have higher IQs, have fewer psychological problems, avoid high-risk behaviors (such as sex at a young age), and grow up to have high-paying jobs and healthy relationships.
“Dads also play a key role in the faith lives of their children.
“According to a detailed study conducted several decades ago, a father’s church attendance has a much greater impact on the future attendance of his children than a mother’s attendance. The study found that, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s attendance, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper.
“On the other hand, if a father does go to church regularly, regardless of the practice of the other, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers. Even if a father goes irregularly to church, regardless of his wife’s attendance, between a half and two-thirds of their children will come to church, at least occasionally, as adults.”4
If you had a good relationship with your dad, thank him today. If you experienced pain from the actions of your father, whether through absenteeism, abuse, or the inability to give and communicate love, if you have not already done so, make the choice to forgive him. Clarence L. Haynes, in a great article found in Crosswalk.com, speaks of his need to forgive his dad.
“I didn’t grow up with the greatest relationship with my father. For many years I carried around anger and unforgiveness because of this.
“One day while praying, God reminded me of one affirmation I needed to give to my father. That affirmation was forgiveness.
“He didn’t do everything right. He made a lot of mistakes. I had a right to be angry, or at least I thought I did. I didn’t realize how heavy the weight was that I was carrying around until I released it and forgave my father.
“If you are dealing with a dad who wasn’t the ‘ideal’ father, then this Father’s Day may require you to offer forgiveness. Of all the affirmations you can give...this one will be the hardest. However, if you can truly do this, with all sincerity, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, there is freedom on the other side of it.
“If this is you...then give the affirmation of forgiveness to your father this year. He needs to hear it. And more importantly, you need to give it.”5
If the father you need to forgive is no longer alive, you can still forgive them and be released from your pain and any lingering effects. Writing them a letter is a good way to do so; for some, writing the forgiveness seems to release the pain.
Finally, this Father’s Day, consider honoring a father other than your biological dad. A spiritual father, perhaps, or a man who became a good mentor or role model for you. This could be a neighbor, pastor, someone in business, a teacher, a relative, or even someone you don't know personally who has influenced or shaped you through their podcasts or writings. Send them a card or a note - it’s never too late. Honor is ALWAYS a good thing. And it blesses both the giver and the recipient.
Pray with me:
God, we pray for fathers on this Father’s Day. It’s a hard job to be a father. That is especially so in this current moral and ethical climate. Many dads feel a tremendous weight of responsibility to lead our sons and daughters to maturity through a climate so opposed to You and Your ways. They need the leading, guidance, and direction of You, Heavenly Father, like never before.
You provided faith to Abraham. You completely turned around the life of Job, restoring everything he lost to tragedy. You took a thrown-away, rejected, and falsely accused Joseph and gave him authority over the salvation of a nation. You changed Jacob’s manipulative nature and renamed him Israel—a father of the nation that gave us our Redeemer. You found a defeated Moses on the backside of the desert, redeemed his life, gave him a new purpose, and used him to be the deliverer of Your people in his generation. Today’s fathers need You to do the same types of things in their lives as well, Lord. Teach us Your ways so we may rely on your faithfulness and walk in Your truth. Amen.
Our decree:
We will honor the Fathers who have been used to bless and shape our lives.
“The history of Father’s Day goes back to 1908 when a church in West Virginia held a sermon to honor 362 men who were killed the previous year in a coal mining explosion. This was the country’s first-ever event to strictly honor fathers.”2
“Grace Golden Clayton, the daughter of a dedicated minister, proposed a service to honor all fathers, especially those who had died. However, the observance did not become an annual event, and it was not promoted; very few people outside of the local area knew about it. Meanwhile, across the entire country, another woman was inspired to honor fathers …
“In 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, was inspired by Anna Jarvis and the idea of Mother’s Day. Her father, William Jackson Smart, a farmer and Civil War veteran, was also a single parent who raised Sonora and her five brothers by himself, after his wife Ellen died giving birth to their youngest child in 1898. While attending a Mother’s Day church service in 1909, Sonora, then 27 years old, came up with the idea.
“Within a few months, Sonora had convinced the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA to set aside a Sunday in June to celebrate fathers. She proposed June 5, her father’s birthday, but the ministers chose the third Sunday in June so that they would have more time after Mother’s Day (the second Sunday in May) to prepare their sermons. Thus, on June 19, 1910, the first Father’s Day events commenced: Sonora delivered presents to handicapped fathers, boys from the YMCA decorated their lapels with fresh-cut roses (red for living fathers, white for the deceased), and the city’s ministers devoted their homilies to fatherhood.
“The widely publicized events in Spokane struck a chord that reached all the way to Washington, D.C., and Sonora’s celebration put the idea on the path to becoming a national holiday. However, the holiday did not catch on right away, perhaps due to the perceived parallels with Mother’s Day.
- In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson and his family personally observed the day.
- Eight years later, President Calvin Coolidge signed a resolution in favor of Father’s Day ‘to establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.’
- In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order that the holiday be celebrated on the third Sunday in June.
- Under President Richard Nixon, in 1972, Congress passed an act officially making Father’s Day a national holiday. (Six years later, Sonora died at age 96.)” 3
God decided that the most ideal atmosphere/environment in which to raise children was one that included both a dad and a mom. Much effort has been made by many on the Left over the last few decades to downplay the need for fathers. However, the facts speak for themselves and prove them wrong. Chris Bolinger points out that “Kids who grow up with a father who is present and engaged are less likely to drop out of school or wind up in jail. When a dad has a close relationship with his children, they tend to have higher IQs, have fewer psychological problems, avoid high-risk behaviors (such as sex at a young age), and grow up to have high-paying jobs and healthy relationships.
“Dads also play a key role in the faith lives of their children.
“According to a detailed study conducted several decades ago, a father’s church attendance has a much greater impact on the future attendance of his children than a mother’s attendance. The study found that, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s attendance, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper.
“On the other hand, if a father does go to church regularly, regardless of the practice of the other, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers. Even if a father goes irregularly to church, regardless of his wife’s attendance, between a half and two-thirds of their children will come to church, at least occasionally, as adults.”4
If you had a good relationship with your dad, thank him today. If you experienced pain from the actions of your father, whether through absenteeism, abuse, or the inability to give and communicate love, if you have not already done so, make the choice to forgive him. Clarence L. Haynes, in a great article found in Crosswalk.com, speaks of his need to forgive his dad.
“I didn’t grow up with the greatest relationship with my father. For many years I carried around anger and unforgiveness because of this.
“One day while praying, God reminded me of one affirmation I needed to give to my father. That affirmation was forgiveness.
“He didn’t do everything right. He made a lot of mistakes. I had a right to be angry, or at least I thought I did. I didn’t realize how heavy the weight was that I was carrying around until I released it and forgave my father.
“If you are dealing with a dad who wasn’t the ‘ideal’ father, then this Father’s Day may require you to offer forgiveness. Of all the affirmations you can give...this one will be the hardest. However, if you can truly do this, with all sincerity, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, there is freedom on the other side of it.
“If this is you...then give the affirmation of forgiveness to your father this year. He needs to hear it. And more importantly, you need to give it.”5
If the father you need to forgive is no longer alive, you can still forgive them and be released from your pain and any lingering effects. Writing them a letter is a good way to do so; for some, writing the forgiveness seems to release the pain.
Finally, this Father’s Day, consider honoring a father other than your biological dad. A spiritual father, perhaps, or a man who became a good mentor or role model for you. This could be a neighbor, pastor, someone in business, a teacher, a relative, or even someone you don't know personally who has influenced or shaped you through their podcasts or writings. Send them a card or a note - it’s never too late. Honor is ALWAYS a good thing. And it blesses both the giver and the recipient.
Pray with me:
God, we pray for fathers on this Father’s Day. It’s a hard job to be a father. That is especially so in this current moral and ethical climate. Many dads feel a tremendous weight of responsibility to lead our sons and daughters to maturity through a climate so opposed to You and Your ways. They need the leading, guidance, and direction of You, Heavenly Father, like never before.
You provided faith to Abraham. You completely turned around the life of Job, restoring everything he lost to tragedy. You took a thrown-away, rejected, and falsely accused Joseph and gave him authority over the salvation of a nation. You changed Jacob’s manipulative nature and renamed him Israel—a father of the nation that gave us our Redeemer. You found a defeated Moses on the backside of the desert, redeemed his life, gave him a new purpose, and used him to be the deliverer of Your people in his generation. Today’s fathers need You to do the same types of things in their lives as well, Lord. Teach us Your ways so we may rely on your faithfulness and walk in Your truth. Amen.
Our decree:
We will honor the Fathers who have been used to bless and shape our lives.
~ Copyright © 2021 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.
- ,https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-fathers-day/
- ,https://www.rd.com/article/history-of-fathers-day/
- ,https://www.almanac.com/forgotten-history-fathers-day
- ,https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/fathers-day/reasons-to-thank-your-dad-this-fathers-day.html
- ,https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/fathers-day/top-4-affirmations-your-dad-needs-to-hear-this-fathers-day.html
10 May 2019
God's Word for Friday, 5/10/19
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Matthew 18:15 KJV
“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love."
Matthew 18:15 MSG
20 February 2019
God's Word, Wednesday 2/20/19
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Proverbs 17:9 KJV
Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!
Proverbs 17:9 MSG
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)